Drunken ex attacked car in Leeds with baseball bat as his family tried to drive away
A drunken ex partner left members of his family fearing for their lives after he attacked their car with a metal baseball bat.
Mark Falkingham had downed a bottle of whisky and turned violent in New Farnley.
The 44-year-old pleaded guilty to affray during a recent hearing at Leeds Crown Court.
Prosecutor Jessica Lister said Falkingham and his wife had been having “difficulties”.
On December 29 last year, he had been drinking and drove his van towards a car in which his wife was a passenger and other members of the family were present.
He then got out and began screaming and calling them names with the bat in his hand.
Falkingham then smashed the back window of the car with the bat, before climbing back into his van and driving off.
The police were called and the driver of the car later them she “thought she was going to die”.
His family later said they just wanted Falkingham to receive help.
Following his arrest, he gave a no-comment interview. Falkingham, of Gamble Hill Drive, New Farnley, has four previous convictions for 10 offences, including battery, criminal damage and drug offences.
Mitigating, Lucy Brown said Falkingham had previously used cocaine but had since stopped.
She said he was now on anti-anxiety medication.
She said: “He accepts it was an unpleasant and serious incident.
“To his credit he had gone to his GP and sought a referral.
“He has shown some genuine regret remorse and regret and has shown a genuine will to put things right.”
The judge, Recorder Mark McKone KC said the incident, along with previous convictions “demonstrated that he could lose his temper and use violence”.
He gave him a 12-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered him to complete a domestic-violence awareness programme and 10 rehabilitation days with probation.
He was also given a 120-day alcohol-monitoring programme.
Recorder McKone told him: “You can’t got around waving baseball bats at people.
“You have just avoided an [immediate] prison sentence.
“It will be a very different outcome next time.”